A Guide To The Most Confusing Menu Terms In The Industry

From bibimbap to yuzu, and everything in between.

Depending on where you're located, in just one day you could eat Cuban for breakfast, Thai for lunch and Peruvian for dinner without having to drive more than 10 miles total. We live in a global food world and it is glorious. But, it also means that there's a lot of new food terminology to learn, and that has left some diners glassy-eyed.

OpenTable conducted a poll and identified the 25 most confusing food terms found on restaurant menus for diners today -- all of them involved another country's cuisine. Luckily, they also defined them for us with the help of illustrations.

Below you can find the 10 most confusing food terms found on restaurant menus. Then head on over to OpenTable's food menu glossary to find the rest.

1Okonomiyaki

BRIANNA HARDEN

[o-konomi-yaki]

Japanese savory pancake containing a variety of ingredients.

2Gochujang

HARRISON FREEMAN

[go-choo-jang]

A savory, spicy and pungent fermented Korean condiment made from red chili, glutinous rice, fermented soybeans and salt. Often served with bibimbap.

3Piri Piri

EDDIE PERROTE

[pir-ree-pir-ree]

Portuguese term for hot chilies, or the hot sauce made from them.

4Yuzu

KEITH SHORE

[yoo-zoo]

A round, yellowish citrus fruit with fragrant, acidic juice, used chiefly as a flavoring.

5Bibimbap

PING ZHU

[bi-bim-bop]

A Korean dish consisting of rice topped with sautéed vegetables, chili paste and beef or other meat, sometimes with the addition of a raw or fried egg.

6Gougere

BRIANNA HARDEN

[ɡo͞oˈZHer]

A puff of choux pastry flavored with cheese, usually Gruyère, and sometimes stuffed with a savory filling.

7Guanciale

HARRISON FREEMAN

[gwan-cha-lay]

A type of Italian cured pork made from the cheeks of a pig.

8Shiso

EDDIE PERROTE

[SHēsō]

An Asian plant of the mint family used as a culinary herb.

9En Brodo

KEITH SHORE

[en BROH/doh]

Means in broth.

10Ballotine

PING ZHU

[bal- -teen]

A piece of roasted meat which has first been boned, stuffed and folded or rolled into an egg-like shape.